"This magnitude 8.2 is not the large earthquake that we were expecting in this area," said Mark Simons, a geophysicist at Caltech in Pasadena, California. "We're expecting a potentially even larger earthquake."

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – Heavy machinery is used to clear debris on the road leading to the town of Camarones, Chile, on Thursday, April 3. Access to the town was cut off when an 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck northern Chile on April 1.

Hide Caption

1 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – People take shelter under a tent after they left their homes in Alto Hospicio, Chile, on April 3.

Hide Caption

2 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – Chilean soldiers stand guard at a supermarket as people wait in line to buy supplies in Iquique, Chile, on April 3.

Hide Caption

3 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – Soldiers patrol inside a mall in Iquique on April 3.

Hide Caption

4 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – People walk along a cracked road in Iquique on Wednesday, April 2.

Hide Caption

5 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – Fishing boats washed ashore by a tsunami sit in the waters of Iquique on April 2.

Hide Caption

6 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – Rescue personnel get ready to go into action April 2 in Iquique. More than 2,500 homes sustained serious structural damage in the region around the northern port city, an official said.

Hide Caption

7 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – A chair floats in a flooded area of Iquique on April 2.

Hide Caption

8 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – People wait at the Arturo Merino Benitez Airport in Santiago, Chile, on April 2 as flights are canceled because of the earthquake.

Hide Caption

9 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – Fishing boats lie in the waters of Iquique on April 2.

Hide Caption

10 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – Chilean President Michelle Bachelet speaks in Santiago on April 2.

Hide Caption

11 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – A man waits for medical treatment at an emergency center in Iquique on April 2.

Hide Caption

12 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – People stay on a beach in Arica, Chile, after the earthquake struck. The quake generated tsunami waves of more than 6 feet on the coast of Pisagua, according to the Pacific Tsunami Watch Center. Iquique saw 7-foot waves.

Hide Caption

13 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – A military vehicle patrols the streets of Iquique on April 1. Chile is on the "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines that circles the Pacific Basin and is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Hide Caption

14 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – People embrace on the upper floor of an apartment building in Iquique on April 1.

Hide Caption

15 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – A view of Iquique following the earthquake on April 1.

Hide Caption

16 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – People evacuate Iquique on April 1.

Hide Caption

17 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – People take to the streets after the earthquake, which hit at 6:46 p.m. local time.

Hide Caption

18 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – A fire burns at a restaurant in Iquique after the earthquake.

Hide Caption

19 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – A woman and her dog stand against a wall in Iquique on April 1.

Hide Caption

20 of 24

Photos:Photos: Earthquake off Chilean coast

Earthquake off Chilean coast – Girls wait in a hallway before evacuating Iquique on April 1.